Mountain apples thrive Mizhi rural industry

In northern Shaanxi in summer, the trees are shady and the mountains and rivers are beautiful. In the mountainous mountains and valleys of Mizhi County, wide and wide terraces meander and spiral, and new standardized orchards are vigorously built.　　

According to historical records, Mizhi County has nearly 1400 years of apple planting history. "It is located in Mizhi County at 38 degrees north latitude and an average elevation of 1049 meters in the county, and is in the middle of the apple eugenic zone at an altitude of 800-1200 meters." Gao Han, the county governor of Mizhi County, said that the unique geographical advantages are in line with the 7 items of apple growth Meteorological indicators. Mizhi County has been recognized as an apple eugenic zone and a county of high-quality apple production demonstration base in Shaanxi Province.　　

In 2020, Mizhi County was selected as the apple industry cluster in Shaanxi Loess Plateau.　　

Since 2014, Mizhi County has identified mountain apples as the leading industry in the county, and the county’s efforts have been rapidly advancing at an annual growth rate of more than 20,000 mu, setting off a boom in the development of the apple industry.

The Road to Rich Wealth 　　

On May 27th, the concentrated orchards surrounded Changqu Village, Yindou Town, Mizhi County, and the young green fruits were covered with branches. Chang Benguan, deputy secretary of the party branch of Shizuo Village, who is sparsely harvesting fruit in the orchard, said: "Since last year, the orchard has seen benefits, and the villagers are happy, and I have a firm heart."　　

Changqu Village is a natural village in Shiziguan Village of Yindou Town. There are 83 households and 191 people in the village, with a total of 1080 acres of arable land, almost all of which is mountainous. Due to the low efficiency of growing grain, the income per mu is less than 500 yuan. Most young and middle-aged people go out to work, and 70% of the land in the village is abandoned. "After the county proposed a call to vigorously develop the mountain apple industry and issued a series of support policies, Changqu Village found the most suitable industry development direction: all the mountainous areas with all conditions were organized and a standardized orchard was built." Chang Ben Observation.　　

After the Spring Festival in 2015, Chang Benguan went door-to-door to solicit opinions. After discussion by the village committee, he developed an implementation plan led by the branch, unified planning, unified leveling, unified planting, and unified varieties, and built a high-standard orchard of 476 mu at a time. After the orchard is completed, on the basis of the original land, it is divided into households according to the whole family, so as to facilitate management. Changqu Village has achieved full coverage of all villagers participating in orchard management.　　

In 2019, fruit trees in Changqu Village began to bear fruit in large areas, with an apple output of 40,000 kg and a revenue of 250,000 yuan. "Looking at the current fruit situation, this year's output is at least 150,000 kilograms, and the income is expected to be one million yuan. The net income per capita can increase by more than 5,000 yuan." Chang Benguan said confidently that the rise of the apple industry has not only solved the problem of land abandonment And greened the village and made the villagers richer.

The crowd has a cash cow 　　

"Since Junfei started to build an orchard, I have a place to make money. I don't have to go out to work, and I have a stable income at my doorstep." said Chang Huanxiang, a villager in Lujiaxi Village, Yindou Town.　　

The 57-year-old Chang Huanxiang family of 5 people has 14 acres of mountainous land and 1 acres of dam land. Chang Huanxiang is a diligent person who leaves early and returns early every day to cultivate his 15 acres of land regularly. Nevertheless, the harvest in the mountains is extremely meager, and the annual income is less than 10,000 yuan. "In those years, the children were young, I couldn't go out to work, and watched others go out to earn money, but I could only keep a dozen acres of my family to live a poor life." Chang Huanxiang said.　　

In the spring of 2015, Chang Junfei, a villager of Lvjiaxi Village, who had a successful business outside, actively responded to the call of Mizhi County to develop the apple industry. By transferring 326 acres of high-standard orchards to the village collective and villagers’ land, the village and surrounding people were provided with sufficient Job positions.　　

Chang Huanxiang transferred his 10 acres of mountainous land to Chang Junfei and worked in Changjunfei's orchard for many years. As the labor force in the orchard increases year by year, Chang Huanxiang's labor income has doubled and he has achieved stable poverty alleviation in 2018. Seeing Chang Junfei's orchards starting to bear fruit, Chang Huanxiang was inspired. In 2018, he organized all the remaining 4 acres of mountainous land to develop orchards. "Now my son and I are working in the orchard in Junfei, with a stable income of more than 60,000 yuan per year." Chang Huanxiang said, "In two years, when my orchard develops, we will have a better day. ”　　

 "Lujiaji Village has now developed 1,420 acres of orchards, of which there are 6 households with more than 100 acres, and more than 80% of the poor households in the village work in the orchards. The average annual income per worker is more than 30,000 yuan." "This apple tree is indeed a cash cow for villagers."　　

The apple industry is a labor-intensive industry. With the arrival of the fruiting period of fruit trees, the labor force is increasing. In order to improve the enthusiasm of the poor people for work, Mizhi County has formulated the Apple Labor Subsidy Measures in a timely manner. Any poor laborer engaged in apple business will be given a subsidy of 30% of the labor income, with a maximum subsidy of 8,000 yuan per person per year. There are 243 apple professional cooperatives and large apple growers in the county, absorbing more than 15,000 labors each year. In 2019, the labor income of poor households working in Apple Orchard alone in Mizhi County reached 9.58 million yuan, and the labor subsidy was 2.87 million yuan. Mizhi's labor subsidy system was selected as the "Big Power Tackling Poverty Alleviation"-the second China Excellent Poverty Alleviation Case.　　

Planting "hardcore crops" 　　

In order to promote the rapid development of the apple industry in the county, Mizhi County has successively formulated a series of innovative support measures such as the "Implementation Plan for the Construction of the Mountain Apple Industry in Mizhi County" and the "Mixi County Poverty Alleviation Industry Development Award and Supplementary Measures" and other series of innovative support measures. In the support system of "process", over 6 years, Mizhi County has invested more than 300 million yuan in mountain apples.　　

"All newly-built orchards will receive a subsidy of 1200 yuan per mu for planting land and 500 yuan for planting; the poor households will develop an additional subsidy of 500 yuan per mu on the basis of enjoying the inclusive policy," said Zhang Rong, director of the Agricultural and Rural Bureau of Mizhi County. In the early stages of orchard construction, fruit farmers had almost zero investment."　　

The county has hired chief experts from the Apple industry and more than 10 senior fruit technicians from Yan'an. It has recruited 50 college technicians to work after the out-of-production training of Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, and provides technical guidance services for squat sites all year round. "No. of pulses", focusing on key elements such as variety structure, planting and management, fruit promotion and quality improvement, disaster prevention and control.　　

In January 2018, Shaanxi Fruit Industry Group Mizhi Co., Ltd. was established. Since the establishment of the company, it has transferred more than 10,000 acres of land, built more than 8,700 acres of high-standard orchards, and built more than 1,000 acres of apple seedling breeding bases. Gao Haibin, general manager of the company, said that as the leading enterprise in the apple industry in the county, the company will protect the interests of fruit farmers from various aspects such as technical services and insured purchases, and promote the quality and efficiency of the apple industry in Mizhi County and healthy development.　　

The government's huge investment and large households have stimulated the enthusiasm of the people to develop the apple industry. Since 2014, the area of apples in Mizhi County has continued to expand at an annual scale of more than 20,000 mu. The current total area has reached 225,000 mu and farmers are 1.3 mu per capita. Among them, 2,893 poor families have built mountain apple orchards of 12,300 mu. The county has built 472 orchards over 100 acres and 2 national demonstration gardens. The apple industry is like a towering tree, and Fukuzawa's father and fellow folks.　　

"The content of fructose in Mizhi Mountain Apple is above 16%. The geographical advantages and the refined management make the Mizhi apple more sweet and refreshing, which is very popular among consumers." Gao Han said. Mizhi Mountain Apple is becoming a "hardcore crop" for the majority of farmers to increase their incomes and achieve a long-term industry for rural revitalization. In 2019, the county's apple output is 75,000 tons, with an output value of 380 million yuan; in 2020, the estimated output is 85,000 tons, with an output value of 440 million yuan, which can increase farmers' per capita net income by 2,588 yuan.　　

The apples in Mizhi Mountain have green loess slopes and rich families.　　

Interview notes 　　

Mizhi People's "Hardcore Crop" 　　

Mizhi County is known as "Heroic County" and "Cultural County", and Mizhi people have always been famous for their courage and wisdom to dare to lead. Decades ago, Gaoxigou Village in Mizhi County, with the courage to dare to call the mountains and rivers for a new look, broke out a road of comprehensive development of agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, and achieved the goal of ecological and environmental protection and economic benefits.　　

Decades later, Mizhi County adhered to the development concept of "green water and green mountains are the golden mountains and silver mountains", adhered to the overall planning of ecological governance and economic development, effectively integrated poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, and selected the advantageous industry of mountain apples according to local conditions.　　

The unique natural conditions and strong policy measures have injected strong impetus into the rapid and healthy development of the apple industry in Mizhi County. In just 6 years, newly built 165,000 mu of orchards. Since 2014, the on-site meeting of the apple industry in the province for four consecutive years has been held in Mizhi County, which is undoubtedly a full affirmation of the county's development of apple industry. The development of the apple industry not only solves the problem of rural land abandonment, but also provides employment channels for the people to increase their income and prosperity, laying a solid foundation for ecological protection in the Loess Plateau, long-term rural stability, and rural revitalization.　　

After more than 6 years of development, the ecological and economic benefits of Mizhi Mountain Apple have gradually emerged. Seeing the benefits, the Mizhi people affectionately called the mountain apple a "hardcore crop." If "Heroic County" and "Cultural County" are the long-standing symbols of Mizhi County, then the "hardcore crop" of mountain apples will surely become another bright business card of Mizhi County. (Shaanxi Daily)